JUDGES LESSON 3
We will begin this lesson in Judges 3:1 "Now these [are] the
nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, [even] as many
[of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;"
We saw in the last lesson that, their unfaithfulness to God had
caused God to leave these nations among Israel as a thorn in their
sides. Israel must stay alert and ready to remove them at all times,
or else be removed themselves. Perhaps, most of those who fought under
Joshua are dead. The new generation had to learn to take and keep
their land. They, also, needed badly to realize their need for the
LORD. They had been unfaithful. They must repent and turn wholly to
their LORD, if they are to receive the blessings of the LORD.
Judges 3:2 "Only that the generations of the children of Israel
might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew
nothing thereof;"
This new generation knew nothing of war. They must stay alert, if
they are to keep their inheritance.
Judges 3:3 "[Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the
Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount
Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath."
The Philistines remained a thorn in the side of Israel for a very
long time. The five lords were from the cities of Gaza, Ashdod,
Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. All of these people were subdued by Israel,
but never totally defeated. They lived among the Israelites, and kept
their own identity. Goliath was known as a Philistine, but probably,
was descended from Rephaim, who lived with the Philistines.
Judges 3:4 "And they were to prove Israel by them, to know
whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he
commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."
Not only were they to prove the Israelites faith in God, but
their ability to fight, as well. They were a constant threat, if
Israel turned away from the commandments of God.
Judges 3:5 "And the children of Israel dwelt among the
Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and
Jebusites:"
All of these tribes were living in Canaan. In a wider sense, they
were all from Canaan. Exodus 3:8 "And I am come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that
land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
Judges 3:6 "And they took their daughters to be their wives, and
gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods."
God had distinctly forbidden them to marry these people. Even
worse than them marrying, was the fact that Israel starting
worshipping the false gods of these people. Deuteronomy 7:3 "Neither
shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give
unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son."
Deuteronomy 7:4 "For they will turn away thy son from following me,
that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be
kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly."
Judges 3:7 "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the
groves."
The groves, here, is speaking of wooden statues of the false
goddess Ashteroth. We read, earlier in this book, where Ashteroth and
Baal were the two most prominent of the false gods of these people.
Grove worship is associated with idol worship. They "forgot the LORD
their God" means they did not remember the miracles He had done on
their behalf. Their disobedience of the LORD was because they did not
love and reverence the LORD.
Judges 3:8 "Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against
Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim
eight years."
"Chushan-rishathaim" was an obscure Hittite conquerer. It
appears, he ruled over the Israelites for 8 years. The anger of God
allowed him to rule over the Israelites. God was chastizing the
Israelites for their worship of false gods.
Judges 3:9 "And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who
delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger
brother."
This is the same brave Othniel that won the hand of Caleb's
daughter. Joshua 15:17 "And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of
Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife." Othniel
was the first of the fifteen judges that God raised up to deliver His
people. We read earlier that, God's favor shined on the judges, and
God delivered the people under their judgeship.
Judges 3:10 "And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he
judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-
rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed
against Chushan-rishathaim."
Othniel was divinely ordained of God for the position of judge of
all Israel. He was anointed with the Spirit of God to fulfill this job
as judge. He led the Israelites in war against Chushan-rishathaim, and
God defeated him for Israel.
Judges 3:11 "And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the
son of Kenaz died."
This, too, is part of the promise. As long as the judge was
alive, God blessed Israel. There was peace for 40 years.
Judges 3:12 "And the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab
against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD."
It seemed that Israel would never learn. They immediately went
back to their sinful way of life, when Othniel died. As chastisement
for the evil Israel did against God, God strengthens Eglon to overcome
them. When Israel sins, God sends war for chastisement on them.
Judges 3:13 "And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and
Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm
trees."
The children of Ammon were the Ammonites, and Amelek's children
were the Amalekites. Moab was the leader in this, and they were known
as the Moabites. The city of palm trees is speaking of Jericho.
Judges 3:14 "So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of
Moab eighteen years."
They serve Eglon for 18 years, while there is no judge in the
land.
Judges 3:15 "But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a
Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a
present unto Eglon the king of Moab."
The word that "deliverer" was translated from can, also, mean
saviour. It seemed, the Benjamites had many warriors who were left
handed. Judges 20:16 "Among all this people [there were] seven hundred
chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair
[breadth], and not miss." It is even more strange, because "Benjamin"
means son of the right hand. Ehud is the second judge. The present
they send to Eglon, the king of Moab, is a way of getting in to see
him.
Judges 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a
cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right
thigh.
"Ehud" means joined together. The dagger he made was one and a
half feet long. Notice, it had two edges. The Bible is spoken of a
two-edged sword. He hid it under his coat on the right side, where no
one would expect a dagger to be.
Judges 3:17 "And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab:
and Eglon [was] a very fat man."
The present got him in to see Eglon.
Judges 3:18 "And when he had made an end to offer the present, he
sent away the people that bare the present."
This present was large enough that it took several people to
carry it. Ehud sent the people away that had carried the present, so
they would not be blamed for what he was about to do.
Judges 3:19 "But he himself turned again from the quarries that
[were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king:
who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him."
Ehud played on his vanity. The king sends his people away, so
they will not see the secret that Ehud has for him. The king would not
even let him speak of it, until everyone had left the room.
Judges 3:20 "And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a
summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have
a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of [his] seat." Judges
3:21 "And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:"
This parlor was a place the king went to be alone. He usually had
some men waiting in attendance in the next room. It appears that, even
they had been dismissed, so they might not overhear the message Ehud
had from the LORD for him. It was a great surprise, when Ehud stabbed
him, using his left hand. The king would have suspected it more, had
he used his right hand.
Judges 3:22 "And the haft also went in after the blade; and the
fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of
his belly; and the dirt came out."
It appears that, the king was so fat the one and a half foot
blade went completely into the stomach of the king, handle and all.
There was no way to pull the dagger out. The dirt, spoken of here, was
the refuse that came out of his stomach, or bowel.
Judges 3:23 "Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the
doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them."
It appears that, Ehud escaped by going through the porch to the
other side. He locked the door from the inside, so the servants could
not get to the king.
Judges 3:24 "When he was gone out, his servants came; and when
they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they
said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber."
Ehud had left the parlour where the king was. Because the door
was locked from the inside, the servants assumed the king was
sleeping.
Judges 3:25 "And they tarried till they were ashamed: and,
behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a
key, and opened [them]: and, behold, their lord [was] fallen down dead
on the earth."
They, perhaps, waited several hours before they discovered
something might be wrong. When they got a key and opened the door, the
king lay on the earthen floor, dead.
Judges 3:26 "And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed
beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath."
The hours that the king's door was locked, gave Ehud ample time
to get away. He hid in the wooded area of Ephraim.
Judges 3:27 "And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew
a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went
down with him from the mount, and he before them." Judges 3:28 "And
he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your
enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and
took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass
over."
Again, the LORD had sent them a leader who would go with them
into battle. God was with Ehud, and delivered the Moabites into the
hands of the Israelites.
Judges 3:29 "And they slew of Moab at that time about ten
thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not
a man."
The blessings of God were upon them, and they slew 10,000 brave
Moabites. They annihilated them, there was not one left to fight of
Moab, here.
Judges 3:30 "So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of
Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years."
God delivered Israel out of bondage that day by the hand of Ehud
the judge. They lived at peace for 80 years.
Judges 3:31 "And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which
slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also
delivered Israel."
The only other place there is a mention of Shamgar, is in
Deborah's song. This seems like he single handedly killed 600
Philistines with an ox goad. He was the third judge. His brave act
would give courage to Israel. He had no weapons, just the ox goad.
Judges 3 Questions
1. Why had God left these nations?
2. What had happened to those who fought with Joshua?
3. What were they to learn, if they were to keep their inheritance?
4. Who were the 5 lords of the Philistines speaking of?
5. Goliath was a __________.
6. Verse 4 tells us, God did this to find out what?
7. The children of Israel dwelt among whom?
8. Quote Exodus chapter 3 verse 8.
9. What forbidden thing did they do, that was mentioned in verse 6?
10. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 3.
11. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 4.
12. Who did Israel turn and worship, instead of the Lord their God?
13. What are the groves in verse 7?
14. Chushan-rishathaim was an obscure __________ conqueror.
15. How long did he rule over Israel?
16. Who was the first judge?
17. Quote Joshua chapter 15 verse 17.
18. Othniel was the first of __________ judges.
19. What empowered him to judge?
20. Othniel was ___________ ordained of God for the position of judge.
21. After Othniel won the war, how long did Israel rest?
22. Who was the king of Moab, that came against Israel?
23. What is the city of the palm trees?
24. How long did the children of Israel serve Eglon?
25. What was unusual about Ehud?
26. Quote Judges chapter 20 verse 16.
27. What does "Benjamin" mean?
28. How did Ehud get in to see the king?
29. Describe the dagger that Ehud made?
30. What does "Ehud" mean?
31. Eglon was a very ______ man.
32. How large was the present?
33. Who sends the servants away?
34. The parlor was a place the king went to be ________.
35. Quote Judges chapter 3 verse 22.
36. How did Ehud escape?
37. When the servants came to the door, and it was locked, what did
they think the king was doing?
38. How did they get in the king's parlor?
39. What did Ehud do, when he got to the mountain of Ephraim?
40. Who was the third judge?
41. How many Philistines did he kill?
42. What did he use for a weapon?
Home